The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1907. THE COALITION RUMOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14503, 15 October 1907, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1907. THE COALITION RUMOUR.

The coalition story which Mr G. W. Leadiey put into circulation is still being quoted In country prints, and. possibly it is receiving credence in districts where tho position is not fully appreciated. At first sight it is not easy to 1 understand why such an idle tale should be told at all. Mr Leadiey, it is .true, quoted Hr Massey as his authority, and Mr Massey, so far as we know, has never contradicted his friend. But whatever purpose Sir Massey and Mr Leadiey may have had in suggesting the possibility of a coalition, there can be no doubt that the Opposition in general is using the story to create illfeeling between the Government and its Radical supporters. The position is explained in an interview which an “Evening Post” reporter has had with one of the Liberal members of the House of Representatives. For ourselves we do not believe for a minute that Sir Joseph Ward would he a. party to any amalgamation of the Government and the Opposition. Sir Joseph’s political career ic bound up with the Liberal Party and, apart altogether from his inclinations, which are strongly Radical, he has sufficient understanding of men and affairs to know that an alliance with tho loaders of the Opposition would he absolutely fatal to his standing as a Liberal in the country. A coalition of Government supporters and Oppositionists would have to he made without Sir Joseph Ward, and so long as he remains Premier it will be by reason of Liberal support, not by the help of the present Opposition. Moreover, the coalition suggestion is ridiculous on its face. The present Ministry is the strongest combination that has been in office for years, and it has a" sufficient body of loyal supporters to keep it in office. It would have absolutely nothing to. gain by joining forces with tho Opposition, and frankly we find it hard to name one Opposition member whoso inclusion would strengthen the Cabinet on the personal side. There is nothing in this story of a coalition. If any of the ardent Radicals among the workers have been 'alarmed by the suggestion they may rest assured that Mr Macscy’s-prospect of assisting to frame the proposals of the Government is exceedingly remote. The Opposition would doubtless like the workers to believe that Sir Joseph has been negotiating with the Conservatives and that the Government is deliberately avoiding the path of Radicalism, hut the truth is that we have a more Radical Government now than we have had for ten or twelve years. The Government cannot make more progress than Parliament will allow, and the Labour leaders who are criticising it so adversely would do their cause far more good by undertaking to educate some of the constituencies, especially in the North Island, that have been slipping back from true Liberalism. The activity of the Political Labour League in Christchurch is a little curious, because there is no district in the' Dominion more solidly Liberal than this city and its neighbourhood.. Those members of the League who are trying to use its organisation for the'- gratification of their own personal ambition are doing the workers a poor service. A split in the Liberal Party would be the greatest calamity that could happen to the cause of labour, and yet this is the very end which some of these self-constituted leaders appear to bo seeking. Fortunately the great majority of the workers have sense enough to see that they are merely irresponsible allies of the Opposition.